


The Final Break-Up

by Silvestria



Category: The London Life (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/M, Geoff and Viola's wine and pizza evenings, Geoffrey has the the patience of a saint, Post-Break Up, who will one day be something more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:30:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7975276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvestria/pseuds/Silvestria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you, Shar, for letting me borrow Geoffrey.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Final Break-Up

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, Shar, for letting me borrow Geoffrey.

"We broke up," said Viola almost falling through the door as it opened.  
  
"So you said in your text. I have wine."  
  
"Oh you darling!" She fell on him and he gave her a brief hug which turned into a pat on the back since she seemed inclined to be clingy and then he pushed her away to kick off her shiny heels and dump her coat over the end of the bannister.  
  
Geoffrey quietly closed the front door behind her with his foot.  
  
"So... You want to talk about it?" he offered, following her into his kitchen.  
  
"Not especially. What kind of wine is it?"  
  
"Sainsbury's."  
  
She laughed and picked up the bottle. "Always a good choice, Sainsbury's, and an interesting deviation from the usual. Is pizza and beer Friday going to become pizza and wine Friday?"  
  
"Not sure my budget could cope. I just thought you needed cheering up."  
  
He poured them large glasses and they went into the sitting room and flopped onto the sofa. Viola heaved a heavy sigh, or at least as much of one as she could manage in her tight, black work dress.  
  
"Cheers!"  
  
"Cheers!" She drank off a large gulp before adding, "Here's to break-ups that have been a long time coming."  
  
"To break-ups," said Geoff solemnly. He raised one eyebrow. "And make-ups the following week."  
  
Viola glared and set the glass down firmly on the coffee table amid the discarded coffee mugs, remotes and books.   
  
"Now I know Blake and I have broken up before-" He gave her a look. "Several times before, but this is final. This time, we're not getting back together."  
  
"You're never ever ever getting back together? You know, you should write a song about that. It will make you feel better."  
  
"Shut up. I mean it."  
  
"Like, _ever_?" Before she could do what her glare suggested she might want to do, he thrust her wine glass at her and tipped it up against her mouth until she was forced to drain the glass.  
  
"The thing is," she said, "that we both want different things."   
  
Geoffrey nodded sympathetically. "Different things. Right."  
  
"I like what we've got now - the parties, the dinners, the mini-breaks, always being there for each other - what's wrong with that, I'd like to know?"  
  
"It's a mystery to me."  
  
"But he keeps hinting he wants more and, honestly, Elise and Robert's wedding was the last straw. You know what weddings are like-"  
  
"Yeah, weddings, awful places. All that romance."  
  
"It's all sly looks and nudges from his mother and he keeps talking about buying a house in Surrey and he got that _look_ on his face when I was talking to Daphne's youngest. You know, the one that says that he just wants to marry me and cart me away to Surrey and have lots of babies!"  
  
Geoffrey was silent this time until he became aware she was looking for a response. Then he quickly said, "Oh, yes, babies. Surrey. Appalling."  
  
"You've not been listening!" she accused him.  
  
"No - no, I have. It's just... Viola, I've heard all this before. You've said all this before and, honestly, it's getting a bit boring."  
  
For a moment she looked as if he had slapped her across the face. "I'm sorry," she said finally, reaching for her wine glass and draining it, despite there not being any wine left. "I'm sorry I bore you."  
  
He reached for her. "No, no, I didn't say _you_ bore me, Vi, just this situation with Blake. That's what's boring. You're stuck in a loop. If this were a novel, I'd have stopped reading a long time ago. Are you endgame or not? That's what I'd be asking myself before I flung the book at the wall and did something more useful with my time like trolling Katie Hopkins on Twitter."  
  
She smiled faintly and squeezed the hand that held hers. "And are we endgame? In your professional opinion?"  
  
He considered a moment how truthful to be. "In my professional opinion, as you say, no. It could work, of course. You might turn around and decide you do want the house in Surrey and the babies-"  
  
"He'd want me to give up my job," she interrupted. "He hasn't said so but I know he would. He earns enough anyway. But I love my job!"  
  
"Right. So you could completely change your character to fit in with what you think he wants and then you could be endgame."  
  
"Doesn't sound like a very happy ending."  
  
"It wouldn't be. At least, not for the Viola sitting in front of me today."  
  
"No..." She looked away. "I'm not, you know, ruling it out altogether. There are some very nice houses in Surrey and - and babies can be nice too. Just-"  
  
"Not now."  
  
 _And not with him._ But neither of them said that.  
  
"Well, it's up to you, of course," Geoffrey continued, giving her hand a little shake before letting it go and patting her thigh in a firm, decisive sort of way. "But he wants more than you do and I think you should stop jerking him around. You say you mean it so stick to it. Don't go back to him the next time you need a date to a polo match."  
  
"I know... I know. That's why I want this to be final. It isn't fair on him. But, honestly, Geoffrey, who else can I take to a polo match? He's just the best date!"  
  
He stared at her. "Someone else. Anyone else. You could take literally anyone else in the world to a polo match as your date."  
  
"Really? But I don't know many people who like polo! I mean, you think it's a tedious and trivial attempt to prove the continued dominance of the upper classes by means of an antiquated, classist sport."  
  
"Did I say that? That's rather good, isn't it? But, Viola, anyone who went with you would be spending the day with _you_ and that would have to make up for the stupidity of the activity."  
  
"You think?" She tilted her head. "You want to come to a polo match, Geoffrey?"  
  
"Not really." He grinned at her. "But if it stops you running back to Pritchard, I'm willing to do my bit for the cause."  
  
"How generous."  
  
"I'm known for my generosity of character. You're paying, by the way. "  
  
"Of course."  
  
He leaned back on the sofa and stared at a suspicious brown mark on the ceiling. Viola leaned back next to him and rested her head against his, squirming until she was comfortable against his side.  
  
" _Poison at the Polo_ ," he said eventually, gesturing into space as if writing the words across an invisible billboard. He nudged her. "Doesn't sound too bad. I'll consider it research and then you won't feel guilty about my betraying my principles."  
  
"I don't feel guilty, you idiot."  
  
"Oh. Well. That's alright then!"


End file.
